Select a region
A woman who lives on one of the proposed routes for the 2023 Guernsey Rally has said "due process" was not followed when plans were being made.
Speaking to Express under condition of anonymity she repeated her previous concerns for the welfare of animals living in fields along "quiet country lanes" as well as safety concerns for children, pedestrians, and residents who may need to leave or enter their properties on the day the rally is due to be held.
The rally will take place over the weekend of 24 and 25 February next year.
There will be three events over the two days - Friday afternoon/evening, Saturday morning, and Saturday afternoon.
Pictured: The organisers have been busy getting ready for the 2023 rally.
The resident who Express has spoken with lives in the Castel and the rally has not previously used the lane on which she lives for any of the events.
She says she only found out it was due to happen when they were told that the decision had been made.
"No one who lives on the lane was asked", she said adding they were given "no information of sound volumes, or what it entails. If anyone wanted to object they didn't have the information."
She also said that "they are only letting residents know when it passes their front door. Not when it passes their land, or other access routes. They're not notifying animal owners. They have to notify homeowners and landowners but anecdotally this has not happened.
"There was no joined up discussion between the parish and the organisers or we'd have said all of this before now."
Pictured: The anonymous resident lives in the Castel and says part of their reason for living where they do is because of the "peace and quiet".
She says that since being told the rally would come down the lane they live on, she and other residents have spoken with the Douzaine and the rally organisers. She said she then found out that the insurance taken out by the rally organisers does not cover "incidental injury to animals or property" caused by the car race.
The resident believes that around 40 cars will be racing past her home at speeds of up to 125mph, with noise up to 100decibels.
While the rally has since been rerouted to not pass their 'front doors' she says that it is still passing their property along their land, which is used for their animals. She admits she does not like motorsports at all and would like the event scrapped entirely.
She said her message to motorsport fans would be: "You might not like my hobbies but I don't involve you in them so why do I have to be involved in yours?"
Acknowledging that there are a lot of motorsport fans in the island she has said an island wide consultation should have been carried out to gauge demand for another event to be added to the calendar. She said it might only be one rally a year but there are already many other motorsport events.
Pictured: A car taking part in the 2018 rally.
"It only started in 2018 so you can't say its a tradition or anything like that. It's not long standing, it's not like the hill climb or anything.
"It might only be one rally a year but no one who lives on these lanes were asked. People have been told their lanes will only be used once but then they're used the next year too.
"The democratic process hasn't been followed. You could do a survey of residents before and after an event to find out if they want it. You could explain to residents all of the processes. But we were just told it's happening.
"They could do a proper island wide consultation into what people what, do people want the rally?"
The resident also questioned the economic benefits that the rally organisers have claimed the event brings to the island.
"I just don't think for the amount of people it's impacting, we should be giving up everything that green Guernsey is trying to do.
"It's a boy's club telling the rest of us what to do," she said.
The rally organisers recently asked their supporters to let parish officials and the States Traffic and Highways Services department know of their feelings regarding the 2023 event.
Karl Marshall said "we are passionate about this event" and said they "are conscientious and work very closely with local residents to put on safe events".
Guernsey's first Motor Rally tomorrow
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.